No change at summit of Premier Division as top three sides win

It is a case of ‘as you were’ at the top of the Premier League as Mervue United, Corrib Rangers and Athenry all maintained their challenge for top flight honours.

However while the top two were produced a late flurry of activity to win their games, Athenry picked up their softest points of the season, when Salthill Devon conceded a walkover for their game scheduled for Moanbawn on Sunday morning.

The Drom-based side are struck on the foot of the table and have just six games to save themselves from relegation. Luckily for Salthill Devon, they have the company of NUI Galway and West United at the foot of the table and this trio are seven points in arrears of fourth from bottom East United.

Last season Devon produced a great escape to avoid relegation with a win in the last game of the season, and it looks like it will take a run of even greater proportions to escape the drop on this occasion.

The Students have games in hand on all those around them and appear to have the ability to move up the table, while recent years have seen West United relegated and promoted in successive seasons, and the prognosis for this campaign is not great either.

PREMIER LEAGUEMervue United 2West United 0

The defending champions required two late goals by Paul Sinnott in order to secure a merited win over a struggling visitor’s at Fahy’s Field on Sunday morning.

With rare exceptions the respective goalkeepers were untroubled for the duration as the visitors set out their stall in defensive mode and Mervue struggled to break them down.

At the other end, West seldom looked like they had the firepower to snatch all three points, but to their credit they made the home side work hard for their win.

The breakthrough came on 77 minutes when Sinnott drilled a Brian Meaney cross past Aaron Connolly and three minutes from time, the influential midfielder added a second.

It was a classic counter-attacking goal as the home side defended a corner which was caught by Brian O’Donoghue. His quick release sent right full Aaron Finnerty away and following his delivery Sinnott was left with just Connolly to bypass for the second to make it 2-0.

The outcome maintains Mervue’s three point advantage at the top of the table.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.